1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a portable interdental toothbrush and is more particularly concerned with a portable interdental toothbrush in which a user can carry for portable use during travel or outing so as to clean and sterilize foreign materials and plaque that fit between teeth after meals; the discharge of a cleaning solution is controlled by opening and closing the outflow grooves and the passing grooves while contracting and expanding operations of the elastic ball placed on an assembly prolusion of a cleaning solution tube easily supplying the cleaning solution to the toothbrush in a state where the interdental toothbrush is carried; its use is convenient, the structure becomes simple, and manufacturing cost is low.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the interdental toothbrush has mull brush-shaped bristles for cleaning spaces between the teeth mounted on the end of the handle. They are orally hygiene instruments used to clean the oral cavity by washing interdental spaces using putting in and pulling out motions of the brush in the interdental space gaps. Use of the interdental toothbrush facilitates removal of food-residue and plaque of hard-to-reach areas of usual toothbrushes, sterilization after dental treatment such as scaling, prevention of plaque after smoking, and cleaning of orthodontic instruments such as braces to maintain oral hygiene.
However, looking at the actual state of use of the current interdental brush there are problems that the cleaning is conducted only using the brush and thus gums become stimulated bleeding occurs frequently and the ability to remove food-residue and plaque becomes insufficient. Further, if interdental brushes are continuously used, there is an unpleasant smell from the brush due to a bad cleanliness, particularly, the growth of bacteria.
In an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems, as shown in FIG. 1, there has been developed toothbrush in which a lid 120 containing a cleaning solution 140 is coupled inside the toothbrush 110 coupled with bristles 130, and each time the user uses it, the toothbrush 110 is immersed in the cleaning solution so that the toothbrush 110 is soaked with the cleaning solution 130. However, this method has disadvantages in that the cleaning solution 140 is stored in the lid 120 of the toothbrush 110 and thus the cleaning solution can be discharged outside if the lid 120 is open due to the uses carelessness. Also, care should be taken for preventing loss of the cleaning solution stored in the lid 120 when using the toothbrush 110. Further, it is troublesome to repeat the motions of putting, in and pulling out the toothbrush 110 in the lid 120 every time the user tries to soak the toothbrush 110 in the cleaning solution.
To solve the above problems, Korean Patent No. 10-0468075 titled “An interdental toothbrush provided with a cleaning solution” has been suggested. The interdental toothbrush disclosed in this patent comprises, as shown in FIG. 2, a case 40 having both ends opened, a storage tank 30 installed in the case 40, on one side of which is formed a discharge hole 32, and the other side of which is open, a pleated tube 70 coupled to the opened outer circumferential face of the storage tank 30 and to a check valve 80 joined to an end thereof, a spring 55 installed on the outer circumferential face of the discharge hole 32, a coupling socket 50 installed on the outer circumferential face of the discharge hole 32 and having a screw part on the outer circumferential face thereof, a nozzle 60 screw-coupled to the discharge hole 32, an end portion of which is split into upper and lower parts, and having a cone-shaped discharge hole inside and a slanted bump 62 on an outer circumferential face thereof, a fixing ring 65 coupled to the split outer circumferential face of the nozzle 60 and contacted with a side surface of the coupling socket 50, and a nozzle cap 90 engaged in the screw portion formed on the coupling socket 50 and having a brush 95 assembled on the front surface thereof and a couple of injection holes 92 formed therein. This interdental toothbrush is effective in eliminating the inconvenience of handling cleaning solution of the prior art, however, the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high, so it is not practical. Further, when the cleaning solution is all used up, the storage tank 30 should be replenished with a new cleaning solution, however, it is impossible to replenish the cleaning solution in the storage tank 30, which makes it impossible to continuously use the interdental toothbrush purchased at a high price.